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Novel environmentally sustainable surface coatings for textiles
No full textHalogen-based flame retardant back-coatings are commonly used for flame retarding UK furnishing fabrics. Their use, however, has become the focus of environmental attention because of claimed ecotoxicological properties of brominated flame retardants (BrFRs). In the specific case of textiles for domestic furnishing fabrics, BrFRs have significant usage and enable most fabrics to pass the flammability testing requirements with both cigarette and simulated match sources since 1988 in the UK.Such treatments achieve a pass after the mandatory 30 min, 40 °C water-soak durability test. Recent innovative developments such as those based on sol gel chemistry have focused on the enhancement of the char-forming efficiency to create heat barrier systems incorporated within silica networks. These are able to create a physical barrier on the textile surface, thus protecting the underlying textile structure. While several recent papers have demonstrated that it is possible to improve the flame retardancy of fabrics by sol-gel treatments by using silica precursor and flame retardants, none of these has been tested as a barrier fabric over flammable polyurethane foam and very few have acceptable levels of durability.The main aim of this PhD is to develop environmentally sustainable flame retardant textile coatings by using novel organic – inorganic hybrid formulations (e., sol-gel) and processing techniques. To achieve this, initially three different flame retardants, based on Sb-Br formulations and acrylic binding resin, for back-coating on 100% cotton and 100% polyester fabrics were studied to enable the creation of a “benchmarking” set of flammability results against which future novel treatments could be compared. The fire performance of these back-coated fabrics was evaluated by using a simulated match test (SMT) to replicate the BS 5852: 1979: Source 1 standard for furnishing fabrics, limiting oxygen index (LOI), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone calorimetry, while the physical characteristics of the fabrics were studied by stiffness testing and colour difference measurement (using Grey Scales).In order to develop a novel semi-durable flame retardant for 100% cotton fabric, a modified sol-gel treatment technique has been studied. It was first established that the best way to apply the selected sol-gel method to 100% cotton fabric was to simultaneously add a salt-based flame retardant combination of diammonium phosphate and urea to the silica precursor, tetraethylorthosilicate, by using a conventional pad-dry technique, commonly used for textiles. Subsequently, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), which belongs to a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds, was introduced and added to the sol-gel formulation to improve the hydrophobicity of the overall treatment. Drying at 110 °C for 10 min and curing at 150 °C for 5 min gave the most water-soak-durable sample. This sample passed the SMT after water-soaking, which was the aim of this project.The fire performance of these sol-gel cotton fabrics was evaluated by using a horizontal burning test, the simulated match test (SMT), limiting oxygen index (LOI), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and cone calorimetry, while the physical characteristics of the fabrics was studied by stiffness testing, tensile, flexural testing and colour difference measurement. The surface morphology of the samples was studied by using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the phosphorus content of samples before and after water-soak testing was analysed by using inductively coupled plasma spectrometry (ICP), acid digestion and ICP analysis of phosphorus and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).Using these techniques, the flame retardant mechanisms of the successfully developed sol gel, flame retardant treatments were evaluated and compared with those by which the conventional bromine-containing back-coatings function
PERSONAL DIGITAL INFLUENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
No full textThe development of communication technology and social media has changed the method and frequency of lecturer-student interaction. It has been demonstrated that lecturer-student interaction can play a key role in the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Moreover, research results have indicated that students improved their engagement, performance, and motivation through social media communication with their lecturers. However, the question of what influence strategies should be adopted and how to use them may require further investigation. In this research, we developed an Educator Personal Digital Influence Framework to demonstrate factors of lecturers' influence on students when it comes to personal influence management on social media. We asked students studying academic skills and marketing modules (September 2017 cohort) at foundation level and students studying a strategic management module (January 2018 cohort) at year 3 to join a WhatsApp group and share their personal WhatsApp number with the lecturer. The lecturer subsequently communicated with the students via the WhatsApp group or to students individually. Thereafter, three focus groups with these students were conducted to explore the factors that lecturers should consider in order to enhance and control their influence. Additionally, the focus group data was used to develop an Educator Personal Digital Influence Framework, which was then verified through questionnaire results. Students confirmed that social media communication made their lecturer appear to be more accessible, which had a positive impact on the sense of 'connectedness' between them. According to their perceptions, this appears to have had a positive impact on their performance. However, students also raised concerns regarding privacy issues, communication frequency, and channels, type of information shared etc. Based on the data collected from both questionnaires and focus groups, the Educator Personal Digital Influence Framework is refined and presented as a tactical model to be considered for educators within higher education to manage and enhance their digital communication and personal impact on students
Service provider attitudes towards and experience of delivering an alcohol IBA service in the Community Pharmacy setting
No full textSince 2007, a number of Primary Care Trusts in the North West have, at some point, commissioned an identification and brief advice (IBA) service for alcohol in the community pharmacy setting and almost 100 pharmacies have been involved in providing the service. The alcohol IBA has a good track record in other primary care settings. This paper describes one aspect of a larger study looking at the community pharmacy context. The aim of this part of the study was to understand the attitudes towards and experience of delivering the service in the community pharmacy setting
An exploration of experiential education as a catalyst for future entrepreneurs.
No full textPreparing students as potential future entrepreneurs has attracted great interest from both private and public sectors. In view of this, concerted efforts have integrated entrepreneurship into the curriculum. There are still deficiencies and gaps in teaching and preparing future entrepreneurs. This research considers experiential enterprise education, for undergraduate students at a post-1992 university in the North of England. Guest speakers and mentors were selected for expertise in the business world and intellectual and practical foundations of entrepreneurship and small business development. Students were given the opportunity of a real business experience, including planning, funding, developing services, marketing, and trading. Undergraduate students declare a range of expectations, beliefs, and prior experience concerning the world of business. Management of expectations is key to delivering a useful entrepreneurial experience
Experiential learning for entrepreneurship : theoretical and practical perspectives on enterprise education
No full textThis topical new book provides an illuminating overview of enterprise education, and poses the question as to whether current establishments have adequate systems in place to prepare students for the world of work. Addressing the increasing need for graduates with practical skills and expertise in the labour market, this collection of insightful chapters analyses the opportunities that are available for aspiring entrepreneurs to develop enterprise skills and experience key aspects of starting and running a business, whilst in a supported environment such as an educational program or incubator scheme. With comprehensive discussion of higher education initiatives and empirical examples of experiential learning in the workplace, this book is an important and timely read for those researching business enterprise, entrepreneurship and higher education more generally
Willy Wonka, Dahl’s chickens and heavenly visions
No full textThis article reconsiders Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory 50 years after its initial UK publication, and over a hundred years since Dahl’s birth.It suggests that the book has often been misinterpreted, in that the work is more critical of modern capitalism than is often recognised, capturing a post-World War II shift in sensibilities from a culture of hard work and deferred gratification to one that celebrated consumerism and instant enjoyment. The article explores this idea by taking a psychoanalytical perspective, drawing largely on the work of Jacques Lacan, especially his notions of the superego, enjoyment and desire. It suggests that Dahl was one of a number of writers (Anthony Burgess and Marshall McLuhan are also discussed) who responded to this shift in capitalist relations, not simply in terms of the content of his work but in the way in which he wrote
Bridging the strategic gap: new strategies in post conflict management. A within-case and across-case study of security sector reform and rule of law institution building in post conflict states
No full textOver the course of the last half century, it is commonly understood that the nature of warfare has changed dramatically. New ways to engage in what is known as the operational art have been devised and through a mixture of strategic and tactical approaches to waging war, combined with emerging technologies have dramatically changed the nature of warfare. While waging war has in some ways become significantly more efficient, sadly however “waging the peace” in the aftermath of war has been, to the experience of many states, decidedly less so.Conflicts, such as those in Iraq and Afghanistan, where the US and its coalition partners intervened and removed governments they deemed pernicious, are clear examples of the attempt to reform and to build new institutions and systems viewed as acceptable. Sadly however, by nearly every International governance standard and institutional metric they have largely failed. Despite billions of dollars in assistance from the international community, these countries even now, with continuous international assistance, struggle to manage their economies and political systems after over a decade on their own. This failure has not been due to a wholesale lack of will on the interveners. Certainly, as previously mentioned, there has been a seemingly endless supply of aid. While there have been the challenges of intra-state violence, dysfunctional political parties at odds with one another, institutional failures and endemic corruption, they do not alone explain the frustratingly slow pace of progress. The challenges listed above are merely the symptoms of dysfunction. The real failures can rather be traced to a lack of foresight in planning, lack of cross culture competence and awareness and the inability to understand the history, culture and religion of the country. These three key elements of any society are essentially the animating force of the people. A failure to assess what role they play in post-crisis environments and the institutions that develop in them will set the conditions for slow progress, passive and active resistance from local partners, loss of trust and hope of the people and the emboldening of violence among opposition groups both inside and outside the borders. This work describes in an overarching way, using the various published works with specific examples, of how important it is to design institutional systems and processes that are built around the foundational elements of society. The work describes an end to end methodology of integrated, operational tools for analysis, planning, operating and assessing change in complex human adaptive conflict-affected operating environments. These are largely in the Middle East and South Asian Cultural context, where the animating elements of history, religion and cultural practice will inform everything we as post conflict, post crisis practitioners and policy makers do. The papers themselves address several of these elements or “real-life” examples of using the transforming conflict systems analytical tool toward solving both macro as well as micro institutional problems. These examples provide examples where there is a mis-match in policy and program objectives with the cultural, normative or human dimensions. Other papers address the aspects of Coalition Forces holding nationals of those state that are not only contradict International Law, but violate existing historical or cultural norms and further disrupting already conflictual societies. Other works examine the effect of corruption, its basis in culture and efforts on political and social development.Lastly, the remainder of the works address the introduction of what I will refer to hereon as the intervening forces (US, Coalition,) and the local population. Interveners need to recognize, identify and mitigate the shortfalls in order to Bridge the Strategic Gap in policy
Leap Online #theboltonway #theboltondifference
No full textLEAP Online is an online skills portal designed to support students on their university journey, both academically and from a personal development perspective. It was launched in September 2017 and is based on a new Learning Development Framework (LDF) developed by the Director of Student Life and the eResources Librarian. The LDF represents a new learning development strategy aiming to ensure that the University’s skills offering is comprehensive and co-ordinated. It demonstrates a holistic approach, recognising four key areas relating to the acquisition of skills, knowledge and experience: academic development; personal development; digital literacy and student engagement.The framework was informed by contributions from Academic Staff, Careers, Student Experience and the Students Union
Work-life balance and well-being in a group of women adult learners in Higher Education
No full textThis thesis explores women’s experiences of undertaking Higher Education (HE) study through a Foundation degree in Early Years, considering how they navigate and experience work-life balance and well-being. The overall aim is to explore the women’s experiences of managing work life balance (WLB) and well-being when HE study is added to the existing commitments of employment and family, forming a trio of spheres of commitment.Drawing on social constructionism and feminist approaches, the study uses the qualitative methods of interviews, and a focus group, to consider subjective, personal experience and perception. The women involved represent a convenience sample of students on the Early Years Foundation Degree at a University in North West England. The main themes identified from a thematic analysis of findings are: (1) WLB tension created by the trio of spheres of commitment (2) Adaptation (3) Motivation.As the women engaged in HE study, while continuing with other commitments, they experienced some disequilibrium in WLB which impacted on their well-being. The women underwent a transformative process, with their initial academic inexperience and lack of belonging in HE being replaced by feelings of confidence and a new student identity. The women’s transformation was made possible through personal adaptations, based upon diverse strategies, and fuelled by their motivation. One part of the strategy involved overlapping commitment spheres, as HE study took place in the home space. While this was challenging to manage initially, it contributed to an important cultural shift as HE study became a norm for the household, creating the ‘learning family’.The findings of the study provide useful contributions to knowledge and practice with increased understanding of the complexity of WLB for HE students, outside of the dualistic framework of work and family. Greater insight was gained into the complex experiences of working class women entering HE, which created a cultural capital within households through academic role modelling and the development of the ‘learning family’. Further knowledge gain was related to the role of motivation and use of creative solutions, in the development of resilience and bolstered well-being.Greater collaboration and understanding between Universities and employers is required to enhance support for widening participation learners and aid their transition into learning by establishing joint responsibility for learner well-being